My father was executed when I was 9. I remember visiting him in jail, walking down this dark corridor and he was at the end of it. He had made me and my brothers necklaces from date seeds. After he was executed, they didn’t give us a gravestone or anything. I remember going to the gravesite with mum and it was just like a massive oval, and you didn’t know where anyone was. I still kick myself to this day that I didn’t keep that necklace he gave me. He had engraved my name into it.
After that, my mum was worried they would come after her, as she was constantly harrassed and taken in for questioning, so we decided to leave everything behind and escape to Turkey. After a few months there, we were accepted by the UN to go to Canada. But the week we got accepted, the political party that my dad had been involved with staged a protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Canada, and burned the Canadian flag. Because of that, Canada rejected our case and the United Nations said they were going to deport us back to Iran.
Because of that, we had to became illegal refugees. We hid in a building in Ankara with around 300 other refugees, and when we went out on the street, we couldn’t talk to each other in our language in case the undercover police found us. Then, some overseas relatives of ours sent Mum some money and she organised a smuggler to take us into Greece by boat with around 20 others. It’s amazing to remember how my mum made all that fun and games for us. That boat was sinking and we thought it was fun, you know splashing out the water with our hands.
In Athens, I sold black market cigarettes in one of the squares, and my brothers sold lottery tickets and shined shoes. One day, I was approached by an undercover cop who pretended he wanted to buy cigarettes from me. After he caught me, I said, ‘I don’t have a Dad, so please let me go!’ And he let me off, and even gave me back the cigarettes. He was so kind. Another time, a man who bought a lottery ticket from my brother won a lot of money, so he gave us some. We also met a lovely family who had a restaurant which they weren’t using, and they let us live there. So we were lucky.
A few months later, we went to the Australian embassy and told them our story and the lady was so lovely, she just said, ‘Welcome to Australia’ straight away. And 6 months later, we arrived in Adelaide. It was the most liberating feeling, to not have that fear anymore. I remember going to Foodland and buying all these things, and it just felt surreal.
I did 6 months of English lessons, then I got put into year 8. High school was really tough for me. I had missed 4 years of school, and I still didn’t know things like the Aussie lingo, or how to play netball, so I got bullied quite a lot. Then Mum decided to move just so we could go to a more multicultural school. I did really well after that, and got into Commerce at uni.
But by my 3rd year, Commerce just didn’t interest me. I had started making jewellery and wholesaling it to boutiques, and I also had a huge collection of vintage dresses, which I loved. One day, Mum said to me, either you get rid of all this stuff or you do something with it! So I decided to leave uni and start up my own business, Azalia. Initially, it was a vintage store, but as the years progressed, I supported more and more local, up and coming, designers and that became my focus. Now there are 3 Azalia Boutiques, and it has become a bit of a name in Adelaide.
I knew I could do it. Once you’ve run away for your life, there’s just no fear. And having that trade built in me from an early age played an important role. I wasn’t playing with dolls and princesses as a child, it was always about how can I make money, how can I help Mum feed us?
When I look at it now, I feel like everything happens for a reason, the way everything has fallen into place. We live in a beautiful country, I’ve met my husband, who is so supportive, and I’ve got 2 gorgeous girls. I would not have had this life without coming here.
My mum is such a strong person. As a mum, I can break down quite easily because of silly things, and at those times, I’m just reminded that she never made it a scary thing for us. She never had that fear in her face, although I’m sure she felt it, having three little kids with nothing.
She sacrificed a lot for us, which I’m very thankful for.
Azadeh
Iran
Arrived 1996
Thank you so much to everyone who has signed up as a patron – I am now at 50% of my goal! If you would like to join the wonderful supporters of the New Humans of Australia project, please visit: www.patreon.com/nicolagray?ty=h
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Welcome to Australia. Beautiful words to hear and beautiful sentiment. You are part of the collective that makes this country great.
Welcome to Australia.
I feel more proud to call you a fellow Australian than a lot of people who were lucky enough to be born here. Your mum sounds amazing. I hope you continue in adding so much to our country.
Amazing story. Instead of the fear and ignorance, to step in to your shoes for one moment would give people a greater understanding of the plight of some people and what they went through to end up here. Oh and by the way, do you have an online store? ????
Beautiful story, I’m so happy for you Azadeh. We have lots of space & we are one the wealthiest countries in the world, we have lots to share. We should welcome more refugees here. ❤️
Oh my god…I live in Adelaide and went to school with Azadeh! I never knew her story but I am so amazed and grateful I have the chance to learn about it now.
Azadeh was a beautiful young girl at high school and she’s grown into an even more beautiful, strong and resilient woman now. Wishing her all the happiness and success she deserves xx
It’s funny to think if my grandfather hadn’t bribed people to get my father out of Iran even way back in 1969 this could be my story. Sounds strange I know but I am so proud of you, Azadeh, for surviving all that and now thriving here. Amazing ????????
An amazing story!
My family came here as migrants in 1973, we had the bullying at school too because we spoke differently etc. We are English! It was hard enough, coming to a strange country, not knowing anyone, without having been through everything your family did. Your mother sounds like an amazing woman and so are you. Wishing you continued success and happiness.
And after everything you have been through Ozy Afzali Pankhurst you are still one of the sweetest and kind hearted people I know! You deserve every bit of success and more! You’re mum is an amazing woman and so are you ???? x
Thank you for this. Such a beautiful way for us to shape a new framework for understanding loving contemporary Australia. I loved hearing this story. So inspired by the courage and strength of your family.
Wow i m so overwhelmed!! So much love. Thank you New humans of oz for letting me share my story. I have been reading everyone’s comments with a big smile on my face this morning ☺️
In this day & age, amongst all the negativity towards refugees and migrants it truly inspiring to read this story. From someone’s tragic beginnings to such a happy outcome, through positive persistence & hard work…..I don’t know you Azadeh, but I am filled with joy to read your story..thanks for sharing..
You and your mum are amazing human beings,with such big hearts….everything good that comes your way is “Good Karma”…you deserve it,may it always be this way for you and your family.
It is a pleasure to know such a sweet young woman as yourself xx
Knowing you through some high school years, i have always felt your humble, kind, loving nature. It’s amazing the stories some of us carry in our hearts. You are simply amazing. You should be immensely proud of yourself. Xoxo
Your story made you cry so much! The kindness of the people in your story is overwhelming. And your mum is such a hero! I am so happy for you that things are wonderful here. I am Canadian leaving in Australia now, sorry my government did this to your family.
I can relate to Azadeh’ـs story very much, because my sister and I came to Australia as refugees,when we left Iran 30 years ago illegally without our parents we thought that goodbye was for good because no Bahais were allowed to leave Iran at that time,it was hard for us and i as the eldest had to stay strong for my sister. But after18 months of hardship we were fortunate enough to come here and i have never regreted my decision.
Well done for sharing Ozy. It’s very refreshing to hear someone’s else’s experience. My father had to make a decision to pay smugglers to get me,my siblings and mother out of Iran due to the prosecution of Baha’is and for weeks we wondered through the desert on camels with only a few necessities to survive, through a lot of pain, terror, my mother having no choice but to entrust dangerous men who pointed guns at us to get us to Pakistan. That’s when we were fortunate enough to be granted asylum to Australia in 1989.
Such a beautiful and inspirational woman!!! Can not believe that I am blessed enough to work for this insanely genuine and hardworking soul! You are beautiful inside and out!! ???????????? so proud of you!!!!
Oh I remember when you first opened your Croydon store, it’s been so long since I’ve been there as I no longer live in Adelaide but it was always so lovely to talk to you (often weekly!).
What a courageous story xx
Ozy Afzali Pankhurst even though I know your story this still had me in tears. You are and have always been an incredible inspiration to me. Thank you Ozy xxx
Such an achievement. Well done my fellow refugee Iranian. So proud to be here in Australia with you. I love Australia and what it has given me/us…a new chance in life!!!
Inspirational. I met a woman quite a few years ago whilst at art college. She and her family fled Iran and started a new life in England. It was a dreadful journey for her family but at last they were safe from political persecution and were rebuilding their life. She shared details with me that I couldn’t really appreciate as a young person, but now as an adult I think about the fear her young family must have felt and I so admire the strength of her and her husband in their determination to provide a better future for their children than they could have expected if they had stayed in Iran. Brave, brave people.
Amazing determination and what an inspiring story to read on a rainy Sunday. Def supporting this and also getting of the couch and doing something with my day! Thankyou again for the inspiration Hun and well done. I remember coming to your Croydon store when it had just opened and no one knew about it yet and it was my hidden local gem. Well done xxx
My grandmother was a war refugee from Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 1920s. She left behind family, including her mum, my great-nana, who later died there at 52.
Noone who got here, ever spoke about it in those days. They were treated as second class and didn’t want to be singled out as Irish Catholic, in a still Anglo-British ’empire’ Aus. My nana died at 53 herself, from all the stress and hard work later. But, she gave us all life.
‘White’ Australians have short, broken memories. These and earlier hardships, like convicts, or displacement of beautiful, peaceful indigenous people, caused many generations of trauma to be repressed too.
This was all covered over. It is where many stupid, old Australian sayings like ‘get over it’ and ‘harden the f&ck up’ ..’don’t be a woose’ ..etc..actually originated.
It’s also where the ok’ness with tolerating aggression and inequality, while pretending the nation is unaffected by it, began.
It’s well past time we opened our hearts with compassion, to all humans. It’s time we acknowledged the motley, traumatised mix we all, actually are – and start honouring the truth, which is far more interesting and varied, than the bland, folk tale.
If we don’t tolerate ferocious animals, we shouldn’t tolerate ferocious, repressive people, who deny their own behaviour and think its ok.
It’s time for compassion and understanding, honouring lives of survival and human triumph, to shine.
I’ll be donating anonymously, to your site for sure.
Thanks for launching such a great project x.
Azadeh your story has inspired me to support Nicola’s project – New Humans of Australia.
Very inspirational. ….what an amazing woman. …I’m definitely going to support New Humans of Australia…..we all just need to have an open heart. ….